Author: Vasilian Manouk

RUSSIAN ARMENIANS UNDECIDED WHO TO SUPPORT AT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
15:28 20/11/06

In January, 2007 the Union of Armenians in Russia (UAR) will issue
a decision on participation of Armenians residing in Russia in the
upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia, Ara Abrahamyan, chairman
of the union, told a press conference today.

In his words, a board meeting will be held after Christmas parties
during which UAR will decide which party "is closer to them." We are
following the political situation in Armenia and advise the party
not to be guided by ambitions and not to give empty promises to the
population, Abrahamyan said.

UNION OF RUSSIAN ARMENIANS TO PARTICIPATE IN 2007 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 20 2006

President of the Union of Russian Armenians Ara Abrahamyan declared
in Yerevan today that the organization headed by him will participate
in the parliamentary elections to be held in Armenia in 2007.

Meeting Armenian writers today, Ara Abrahamyan said more than 500
thousand Armenian citizens reside in Russia, and the Union of Russian
Armenians is obliged to participate in the elections to defend the
interests of these people.

Ara Abrahamyan said that during the meeting in January the Union
will determine the force together with which it will participate in
the elections.

The Manhattan Institute d.b.a. City Journal
City Journal
Fall 2006

Soundings: "Talking Turkey"

by Theodore Dalrymple

The Turkish government often seems determined to strike propaganda
coups against itself. It put 34-year-old author Elif Shafak on trial
recently for questioning Turkish national identity, and dropped the
charges only after predictably adverse publicity. But the charges
will be a warning to other Turkish writers not to go too far.

In her latest novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, which has already sold
60,000 copies, Shafak tells the story of a Turkish and an
Armenian-American family. On no subject is the Turkish state more
sensitive than on the massacre of the Armenians in 1915. Was it just
one horrible massacre among others, or the twentieth century’s first
genocide? A lot turns on the question–or at least so both Armenians
and Turks believe.

Shafak specializes in inflaming the sore points of Turkish history.
She wants a Turkey less ethnically and culturally homogeneous than
that of the traditional Kemalist vision, and thus not only questions
the sanctity of Atatürk himself and the army that protects his
legacy, but expresses sympathy for Kurds and even Greeks.

One may doubt whether the realistic alternative to the Kemalist
version of Turkey is a multiculturalist paradise, where the Turk lies
down with the Greek, so to speak, rather than a Muslim theocracy. But
Shafak has every right to her views and should not have faced
persecution for them (apparently, she has received death threats,
too).

That does not make her a heroine, however, all of whose views we must
accept. She subscribes, a recent admiring Le Monde article suggests,
to those hackneyed views of the 1960s that have brought much social
dislocation to the West, and would be more devastating still in
Turkey. She is a feminist who seems not only to deplore Turkish
machismo, no doubt understandably, but also to believe that men,
beyond insemination on demand, are redundant. In reaching this
conclusion, she reflects upon her own experience as an
upper-middle-class intellectual and assumes that it is exemplary for
millions of compatriots.

Her father abandoned the family when she was an infant, leaving her
grandmother and her mother to raise her. Her mother, Westernized and
highly educated, became a diplomat. Shafak was born in Strasbourg and
lived successively in various capitals, including Madrid. According
to Le Monde, "she grew up in a universe in which women were
independent and educated, where the cultural heritage was passed from
mother to daughter, and marriage and motherhood were assaults on
freedom." Having just given birth herself to a daughter, she said,
"As for me, I will always cultivate my independence, and my daughter
will be raised like that."

It seems scarcely to cross her mind (at least as Le Monde presents
it) that this attitude is not necessarily a useful prescription for
all of Turkish society, or at least for that considerable part of it
that does not live in, and was not raised in, cosmopolitan diplomatic
circles. In short, Shafak seems a typical example of the intellectual
who uses personal history uncritically to draw conclusions about
society as a whole.

Dangerous as such intellectuals no doubt are, they should not have to
go to jail for their views. I disagree with what Shafak says, but I
defend (to the death it would perhaps be too much to claim) her right
to say it.

ARMENIANS HOLDING WAR GAMES IN OCCUPIED AZERI DISTRICT

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Nov 17 2006

[Presenter] The Armenian armed forces started military exercises in
the occupied Agdam District at 1100 [0700 gmt] today. Sahin Rzayev
from ANS TV’s Karabakh bureau has details.

[Rzayev] The Armenian armed forces again started military exercises in
the occupied Agdam District today. Residents of the district villages
of Hacimammadli, Camanli and Ciraqli, which are close to the front
line, observed the movement of military hardware in the occupied
villages of Uzundara, Qiyasli and Xidirli. Later, the military
hardware began to open artillery fire. About 15 minutes later,
helicopter gunships of the Armenian army appeared in the sky.

The residents said that four helicopter gunships which took off from
the area of Uzun Dara [Long Valley] manoeuvred along the border for
about 10 km and fired at different targets.

Later, the residents also saw a fighter taking off from Xocali
airport. The military exercises lasted about one hour. The situation
is now relatively calm in Karabakh and the surrounding areas under
the occupation.

PM BALKENENDE SEEN AS FAVOURITE IN DUTCH ELECTION
by Frederic Bichon

Agence France Presse — English
November 19, 2006 Sunday 8:55 AM GMT
The Hague

The Netherlands will vote Wednesday in parliamentary elections after
a brief campaign that focused on the battle between sitting Christian
Democrat Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, popular for his economic
successes, and labour leader Wouter Bos.

Public debate in the Netherlands has focussed on immigration and
integration for the last four years following the 2002 murder of
populist leader Pim Fortuyn and the killing of filmmaker Theo van
Gogh by a Muslim radical in 2004.

But these issues were notably absent from the campaign for Wednesday’s
poll, even with the Dutch cabinet’s announcement on Friday of a bill —
denounced by Muslims as ill conceived and an infringement of religious
freedoms — banning face veils in public and semi-public places on
"security" grounds.

The major parties have all reached a consensus on the hardline policies
of Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk, of the rightwing liberal VVD,
and the far-right movement is marginalized.

Another non-issue is international politics, including Europe, despite
the fact that the Netherlands last year voted overwhelmingly against
the EU draft constitution.

Over 61 percent of Dutch voters said ‘no’ to the constitution while
nearly all major political parties had lobbied for a ‘yes’.

A recent poll showed that if the vote were held again today, 64
percent would reject it again.

On Wednesday some 12 million voters will chose 150 members for the
parliament. After the elections the party with the most seats will try
to cobble together a ruling coalition as the system of proportional
representation makes it virtually impossible for one party to get an
absolute majority.

There will be only one round of voting with 24 parties participating.

Polls show that the Christian Democrat CDA and the PvdA labour party
could get enough votes to form a grand coalition together, as they
have done frequently in the post-war Netherlands.

The CDA party of Balkenende, who has been at the head of three
successive governments since 2002, looks set to remain the biggest
party, according to the polls. Its biggest rival the PvdA has seen
its popularity wane after initial success in local elections earlier
this year. However, the polls also indicate that up to one third of
the electorate is still undecided.

Another unknown will be how the tiny far-left Socialist Party (SP)
will do since some surveys now predict it could become the third
largest party. After four years of far-reaching social reforms the SP
has attracted a lot of protest votes. In the 2003 elections the SP was
also projected to make major inroads but that failed to materialize.

Balkenende, 50, with a safe Calvinist middle-class image whose side
parting and round glasses have earned him the nickname Harry Potter,
has led the country in a period marked by economic recession and
austerity measures.

While the reforms have seen his popularity-rating plummet in the past,
they are now credited with the economic turnaround.

The centre-right government largely privatised health care, the
energy and transport sectors and the economic markers are good: 5.2
percent unemployment from July to October, a predicted growth of 3.5
percent and a public deficit of 0.1 percent of GDP this year with a
tiny budget surplus expected next year.

Balkenende’s lack of charisma and natural authority, which his critics
blame for the fall of his government in June following a controversy
over the immigration minister, is actually an asset in a country that
values normalcy above all.

Compared to his 43-year-old rival Bos, a former Shell executive who
was briefly deputy finance minister from 2000 to 2002, Balkenende
has more government experience and can rest assured that since 1972
all incumbent prime ministers have been re-elected.

On top of that Bos has his own image problem: his good looks, media
savvy and promises to modernise the labour party helped his party
make historical gains in the 2003 elections but now he is widely seen
as slick.

His critics, including some within his own party, say Bos is
flip-flopping: in a recent example the PvdA removed two candidates
of Turkish origin from their list because they refused to acknowledge
the Armenian genocide but later Bos himself said genocide should not
be used to describe the World War I massacre.

This was seen as a move to try and win back voters of immigrant origin
whose votes account for at least five seats in parliament.

The first estimates based on exit polls are expected at 2000 GMT and
the first partial results will come an hour later.

ARMENIAN LEADER SUGGESTS SETTING UP COMMISSION TO DISCUSS DISPUTES WITH TURKEY

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Nov 17 2006

Yerevan, 17 November: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has said
that Armenia’s suggestion to set up an Armenian-Turkish intergovernment
commission to discuss all disputed issues remains in force.

Kocharyan said this while addressing the German Bertelsmann Foundation
on 16 November, a special Mediamax correspondent reported from Berlin.

The Armenian president recalled that in response to the Turkish prime
minister’s suggestion to set up a joint commission of historians,
he suggested setting up an intergovernmental commission last spring.

Historians cannot be responsible for bilateral relations because
governments are responsible for this, Robert Kocharyan said. "But
the intergovernment commission could have subgroups in one of which
historians of the two countries could be working together," the
Armenian president said.

Robert Kocharyan also said that there is every reason to doubt
the sincerity of Turkey’s suggestions to set up a commission of
historians. He noted that these suggestions intensify when the question
of recognizing the Armenian genocide is discussed in this or another
country or when this issue is raised in the context of the talks on
Turkey’s membership of the European Union. "Thus, Turkey is trying
not to search for ways to solve the problem, but to distract the
international community’s attention from it," Robert Kocharyan said.

450 THOUSAND EUROS DONATED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE EUROPEAN PHONETON

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 17 2006

According to the results of the first day of the Phoneton of the
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund that started in France yesterday the total
sum of donations and donation promises comprised 450 thousand Euros.

Money was allocated by Armenian communities of Paris, Lion, Marseilles,
Nice and Toulouse.

"Armenpress" was told at the PR Department of the Hayastan Fund that
compared with the data of the first day of the European Phoneton
2005 the donations have increased. Last year 380 thousand Euros were
collected in the result of the first day.

ANDRANIK MARKARYAN: ILHAM ALIYEV AND ROBERT KOCHARIAN’S MEETING MAY BE A STEP FORWARD IN THE SETTLEMENT OF THE CONFLICT

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 16 2006

"The meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents may be a step
forward in the settlement of the conflict," Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Markaryan told journalists, APA reports.

"The meeting may be a step forward and we may come to the conclusion
that Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers have come to an
agreement on some questions. Of course these problems will be widely
discussed on the level of presidents. I would welcome such a meeting,"
he said.

In the assembly of the Foreign Ministers of both countries held
in Brussels OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs proposed the meeting of two
presidents.

Armenia does not use neighbors’ controversies in building regional policy:
Speech by President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan at the Bertelsmann
Foundation

Regnum News Agency
November 18, 2006

President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan who is paying a
working visit to Germany made 16 November 2006 a speech at the Bertelsmann
Foundation. REGNUM introduces the full text of the speech published at the
Armenian President’s official website.

"Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to join you here today. It is very natural that this talk is
taking place in the Bertelsmann Foundation. Describing the processes
unfolding in Armenia since independence, the most frequent word to be used
is ‘reform’ – economic, social, and political. There is virtually no domain
of life which would not undergo serious reform after the collapse of the
Soviet Union and transition of Armenia to democracy and market economy. We
restructured our institutions, reviewed policies, overturned the structure
of the economy. Everything was new and challenging.

Unfortunately, this process was complicated by the war imposed on us,
blockade, which still continues, and a severe energy crisis. We replied by
intensifying the speed of transformations, mobilizing resources, and
increasing the effectiveness of the governance.

Armenia is not rich in natural resources. However we are known for the most
important of them – the human one. It is first of all expressed in the
widely-recognized entrepreneurial and hard-working nature of the people. Our
characteristic feature is the high level of motivation among the people to
start private businesses.

To be able to fully benefit from these advantages, it is essential to
establish favorable environment for business-oriented people, and provide
safeguarded investment policies. This envisions liberalization of the
economy and of trade regimes, establishment of competitive conditions and
the minimization of the state’s interference in the business affairs.

As a result, we witness serious changes in the structure of the economy,
both in terms of its branches, and of property types. 85 per cent of the GDP
is produced in the private sector, with over 40 per cent in small and medium
businesses.

We are particularly proud of this last figure. The middle class is in the
process of formation. This seriously affects the public perception about own
future.

Obviously not everything is smooth yet. We particularly feel a pressing need
for a qualitative improvement of the tax and customs administration. The
fight against corruption needs to be intensified at all levels according the
action plan adopted by the government.

We also need to further develop the sector of financial services in Armenia.

For that we have a good potential in the form of efficient banking system,
which is being continuously upgraded.

While we see a serious increase in foreign direct investments in Armenia, we
know that there is still more to achieve in the upcoming future. In this
regard I have to fully acknowledge and express our sincere appreciation for
the technical assistance and direct involvement Germany has in this field in
Armenia. The programs of technical assistance and financial cooperation
implemented with KWF and GTZ bring a solid contribution in this regard.

Armenia’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2003 pushed forward
our integration into the world economy and made relations with our partners
more predictable.

Last year a joint study by the Wall Street Journal and Heritage Foundation
placed Armenia 27th in its index of open economies globally. Effectiveness
of the reforms is reflected in figures. In the last six years the annual
growth of GDP averaged at 12.2 per cent. Foreign investments last year
totaled at 500 million US dollars.

Such progress allows our Government to address social problems, challenging
our society. I would like to particularly emphasize the Poverty Reduction
Program, which has been developed in close cooperation between the
Government, international financial institutions, and Armenia’s civil
society. That experience is used by the World Bank as a case study for the
development of similar programs in other countries.

This year our government has announced another priority, which shall result
in a systemic change in the society. We have launched a major program for
the development of Armenia’s rural areas. Currently there is a big gap
between the situation in the capital city and countryside. We have mobilized
available resources, as well as have called on our Diaspora structures to
take all the necessary steps to provide better quality of life to villages
of Armenia. In our view this will provide incentives for young people to
develop their regions, towns and rural communities.

Another competitive advantage we base our reforms upon is the high literacy
level Armenia has. We intend to develop science-reliant economy. We already
have 2 per cent of IT share in the GDP composition.

Meanwhile, we fully realize that it would be impossible to explore that
advantage without serious changes in our educational sector and in sciences.

That is exactly why Armenia has committed itself to active participation in
the Bologna process to adjust its education system to the European
standards. We are currently also developing a comprehensive strategy of the
reform for the fundamental and applicable sciences. In the difficult period
of transition, the need to invest in people was somewhat neglected, and
currently we attempt to make up for that delay.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have started my speech with the economic reforms and their impacts on the
social field, since we are deeply convinced that sustainable democracy is
strongly dependent on the state of economy. While we fully appreciate the
importance of political vision and leadership for rooting the democratic
values in the formerly closed society, we are strong believers of the
democracy from below. It is not enough to create democratic institutions:
without strongly motivated beneficiaries they would be rapidly corrupted and
altered. In our view those capable beneficiaries of democracy are the small
and medium businesses on one hand and the civil society on the other.

Today our government is deeply involved in the process of reforming our
judicial sector. The first phase of that reform took place at the wake of
independence. At that time we were just learning the rules of civil law in
conditions of private property ownerships and in the system of democratic
accountability of the state. Today we work towards deeper reforms, which
would allow for a higher level of independence of the courts, and deeper
respect for human rights. In close cooperation with German partners we now
develop the system of administrative justice, which would regulate disputes
between the state and citizens.

The years of independence have been marked by active involvement of the
civil society in the life of the country. We are encouraged by the
development of NGO sector. Today we witness more professional
non-governmental organizations, which bring people closer to the political
decision-making. All state institutions in Armenia have started to work
closely with civil society groups.

Meanwhile, it is true that we continue to witness the major problem of NGO
sector in any transitional democracy. NGOs, being relevantly a new
phenomenon, o ften continue to be grant-oriented, instead of being
goal-oriented, and have a political agenda, aligning with various political
parties.

Ladies and Gentlemen:
Last fifteen years have been the period of statecraft. Our accession to the
Council of Europe five years ago provided framework for the legal reforms
and institution-building. WTO membership allowed for a quicker and more
motivated transition towards liberal economy. Thinking about continuing the
reforms, we watch the European Neighborhood Policy as a new benchmark. In
our perception the Action Plan signed lately in Brussels is the new roadmap
of our reforms. Armenia intends to develop an efficient cooperation with the
European Commission and strengthen bilateral ties with EU member-states.

This would allow for intensive political dialogue, more trade, active social
and public interactions, and higher mutual security involvement. We count on
German support and cooperation within this new framework.

Over the years Armenia has been consistently shaping its foreign policy,
based on the concept of advantaging from overlap of interests rather than
exploitation of disagreements existing in our region. This has allowed us to
combine perfect relations with Russia, EU, United States, and Iran. It is
also an important part of transformation of our country and society. For
decades, living in the Soviet Union, we were trained to watch the world as
black and white, representing enemies and friends.

The policy of complimentarity also applies to our security model. Armenia is
an active member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and at the
same time has done a substantial progress on its cooperation with NATO. The
Individual Partnership Action Plan has been approved, setting the framework
for a long-term institutional cooperation.

Our vision of future of Armenia is that of a prosperous state in a friendly
stable environment. Armenia has four immediate neighbors in the region. Much
to our regret, with two of them we have no relations. Over centuries we
enjoy good neighborly relations with Georgia, and very much hope that recent
dispute between Russia and Georgia will be resolved shortly. We value our
efficient and stable cooperation with neighboring Iran, with whom we
cooperate in many spheres and have started significant infrastructural
programs.

In contrast to this, another major neighbor – Turkey keeps Armenian border
blocked. We even have no diplomatic relations with that country. In our
view, being a member of NATO and craving the EU aspirations, Turkey had to
shape more positivistic policy in the region. More than once we have
proposed to establish diplomatic relations and this offer is still pending.

We believe that neighboring countries should build-up their relations
without preconditions, and moreover, without conditioning those by demands
of a third state.

Armenia attaches great importance to regional cooperation. We believe that
the resolution of conflicts itself should not be regarded as a precondition
for establishing dialogue and cooperation. Rather, the regional cooperation
should be watched as a great trust-building measure, aimed at resolving
existing disagreements. It is obvious, that unresolved conflicts hamper the
process of natural development of the South Caucasus.

That is why we are committed to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabagh conflict. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs works hard to bring closer our
positions. Unfortunately, despite active negotiations underway, there is
little room for optimism.

Our principle stand is that the people of Karabagh have implemented their
right for self-determination. It has been done in full compliance with the
international law. Many currently independent states came into existence
after former empires perished. Independence of Nagorno Karabagh was attained
at the time of collapse of the Soviet Union. Moreover, it was the time of
the end of the grand ideological divide. Nagorno Karabagh has never been a
part of independent Azerbaijan. Through a successful construction of its
statehood Nagorno Karabagh Republic has proved its right for existence. It
regularly conducts democratic presidential and parliamentary elections. We
witness the development of the civil society. A generation has already grown
up, which considers itself to be the embodiment and safeguard of that
statehood. We do not recall any case of a nation willingly putting it down
independence it has been enjoying for over 15 years. No one has intention to
do it in case of Karabagh. We speak about irreversible changes that took
place in the people’s mentality.

Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have outlined the main lines of the economic, societal, and political
change underway in the Republic of Armenia. Transition is a process, not an
event. It does have the beginning but never an end. In my view the viability
of a nation is rooted in its capacity to comprehend the need for a change
and its readiness to transform itself. We know that despite the existing
positive dynamic the transformation of our country is only in its early
stage. But we have vision for its goal and commitment to the process.

Thank you for your attention."

TURKEY: GUL RULES OUT IRAQ’S FRAGMENTATION AS SOLUTION, COMMENTS ON TIES WITH US

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 14 2006

["FRAGMENTATION OF IRAQ CANNOT BE A WAY OUT, GUL" – AA headline]

ANKARA (A.A) -14.11.2006 -"Some circles try to show fragmentation
of Iraq as a way out. Such an approach, which will certainly drag
Iraq into a chaos, cannot be Turkey’s policy. The mistake that were
made at the beginning of Iraq war cannot be repeated," Turkish FM &
Deputy PM Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday.

Commenting on Turkish-US relations, Gul said, "our relations with the
USA cover a wide range and are directed towards similar targets." He
said fight against terrorism was the main concern of Turkey and
the USA.

Briefing MPs at the parliament about recent developments in Iraq, Gul
said Turkey, from the very beginning, did its best for a democratic and
well-administered Iraq, which also preserve its territorial integrity
and political unity.

"Unfortunately, we are sorry to see that sectarian acts of violence
escalated in Iraq and the security, generally speaking,is worsened,"
Gul noted.

"Another issue on which Turkey feels uneasy is the future status of
Kirkuk," Gul indicated, and noted that the ambitious policies carried
out on this matter were very dangerous.

-PKK/KONGRA-GEL-Pointing to the presence of members of PKK/KONGRA-GEL
terrorist organization in (northern) Iraq, Gul said fight against
terrorism can only succeed in case all support coming from abroad
is stopped.

-MIDDLE EAST-Underscoring that Palestine-Israel conflict was on the
basis of the problems in the Middle East, Gul said Turkey believed
that the only way out was through (the establishment of) two-states
(Palestine and Israel) living side by side.

Commenting on sending of Turkish peacekeepers to Lebanon, Gul
added, "not only military but also members of NGOs and humanitarian
organizations were sent to this country. This proves that Turkey is
a reliable partner as regards preventing clashes and human tragedies
in its region."

-IRAN-"Turkey closely monitors the developments regarding Iran’s
nuclear programme.

Turkey exerts efforts to solve this problem through diplomatic means"
Gul said.

"Turkey supports the right of all countries to take advantage from the
nuclear technology for civilian purposes," Gul said, indicating that,
"Turkey deems proliferation of nuclear weapons as a serious security
threat."

-ARMENIA-Touching on relations with Armenia, Gul said, "Turkey
expressed its willingness to normalize relations with Armenia within
the framework of good neighbourhood, mutual interest and respect
to territorial integrity. Armenia has not yet displayed a similar
approach."

-RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA-Gul said Turkey considered relations with
Russia from a positive point of view, noting that recent reciprocal
high ranking visits strengthened mutual confidence.

Turkish FM indicated that Turkey has become Russia’s second biggest
trade partner last year with a trade volume of 15-billion USD . "We
hope to raise this figure to 20 billion by the end of this year and
to 25 billion USD in 2008," he said.

-GREECE-Gul said Turkey deployed efforts to solve problems with Greece
through dialogue and underlined that Turkey’s objective is to raise
the bilateral trade volume with this country to 5 billion USD.